Dirt Moving B3300SU & Box Blade

CanuckPT · Mar 2, 2013

I'm pretty sure I'm going to nab a box blade, likely from TSC. Will my 33 hp handle the 6 foot or should I go with the 5 foot? Thanks for your advice!!

number two · Mar 2, 2013

The 6 foot box blade would be the maximum you could use on your tractor.When I was shopping for my box blade,my Woods dealer said I could use a 6 foot as well with a 30 HP tractor as long as it was 4WD.I bought a 5 foot instead.My B3030 pulls it fine for the most part.In retrospect,A 6 foot might have been fine,but the sweetspot for our tractors would be a 65"-66" model,most likely not available from TSC.Of course,a lighter 6 foot model from TSC might be just right!Good Luck!-

jim_wilson · Mar 3, 2013

Somewhere out there I know I've seen a document that details what the recommended size implements are for the B3200/B3300SU.

Unfortunately I can't remember what size box blade is recommended for your 3300 ( I have a 3200).

You're in New Hampshire - so your soil is going to be similar to what I have down in MA. If you haven't used a box blade before - let's just say bigger isn't always better. Depends a lot on what you plan on doing with it and what type of soil you're dealing with.

Verticaltrx · Mar 3, 2013

5' max if you want to use it for any heavy work (excavating, moving large amounts of dirt/gravel, etc). If you just want to use it for grading the driveway or something you might get by with a 6', but I wouldn't recommend it. FWIW, a 5' box blade full to the brim with the rippers down will just about stop my B3200 with loaded ag tires.

bikerdib · Mar 3, 2013

I'd recommend the 60". I have a 72" grader blade and I know I've stopped my 3300 with it before. It wasn't a lack of power necessarily but lack of traction. I have R1s with the rears filled (I don't know what tires you have, most 3300s are sold with R4s). If you had the tines down trying to drag with a 72" I think you'd be stopped quite often. Like others have said, if you are just wanting to drag loose dirt the 72" would work but you would have problems busting hard pack.

The reason I have a 72" grader blade is that when it is angled it will still cover my tire tracks.

jeff9366 · Mar 3, 2013

I have a B3300SU with R4 industrial tires.

I pull a 630 pound X 60" Bush Hog (brand) Rollover Box Blade, a good match to the B3300SU.

As you surely know, the three point hitch applies NO downward hydraulic pressure, so the weight of the box blade is a key factor in how well it will cut. Buy a box blade from 550 - 650 pounds if you can afford it. Ag tires will pull somewhat more than industrial tires but 650 pounds is still max.

Be cautious when pushing LOOSE dirt in reverse. ( Believe me; I have experience. ) Pushing it is easy to bend the factory check chains/turnbuckles which weigh 3.7 pounds. As Kubota is metric, you cannot go down to the local hardware store to buy replacement bits out of hardware parts bins. Consider aftermarket rigid check chains/stabilizers from Stabilworks. Stabilworks mech really simplifies mounting attachments. Mine weigh 14.4 pounds. Two rigid bars serve to reinforce the bottom links too.

I temporarily replace Kubota factory Top Link with a "Hydraulink" when I am going to use the box blade. Hydraulink works better with some implements than others; it is BEST with a box blade. It is not as good as a hydraulically controlled top link, but it may be 80% as good with a box blade. Use search function on T-B-N for "Hydraulink". Lots of posts.

Restrain yourself on width. You have to maneuver that ponderous thing back there. Stay with 60" (+/-). You will lose traction before you can fill a 72" box blade.

Once you purchase a box blade it takes 5-15 hours to learn to use it with some proficiency. Be patient. To get a smooth path when finishing, take SMALL bites with the box blade.

Good luck and happiness.

LINK:

StabilWorks

94BULLITT · Mar 3, 2013

A 5' is the right size for your tractor.

KYDan · Mar 3, 2013

The 6" Bush Hog RO box blade, manufactured by Dirt Dog, weighs 710 lbs. in heavy clay soil, Eden Shale, it is all my MX5100 wants with the rippers down. I did manage to bend 2 of them though. BTW, it is a great box blade.

CanuckPT · Mar 3, 2013

Thank you all for your feedback so far! That's why I love TBN so much!

CanuckPT · Apr 9, 2013

I've decided to go with the Everything Attachments 66" blade after speaking with them today. I don't think I'm going to rush into purchasing a Quick Hitch system until or if I acquire more 3 PH attachments in the future but it will afford me the option in the future! I'm going to pull the trigger & order it in a few weeks. I did contact Mark at Stabilworks per your suggestion jeff9366 but I'm going to hold off on that until I see how it goes once I take delivery of the box blade. Thank you to everyone for your input.

Mountain Hill · Apr 10, 2013

Just bought, l3800 delivery in 3 days. Also bought Woods BSS65", box blade. I noticed that Kubota only recommends a 52" bb. Should I reconsider a smaller box blade or will the 65" work efficiently with my tractor? Still have a few days to change up before delivery!

94BULLITT · Apr 10, 2013

The 65" box blade willbe fine.

jim_wilson · Apr 29, 2013

I'm wondering now if a 65" scraper blade would work for my B3200. I've found a guy who has a few of the Bushhog 65" roll-over scraper blades for sale - for what appears to be a pretty good price.

I'd been thinking of the 60" rollover blade - but I think it's more money than I need to spend for what I need to do. Started looking at the 60" standard scraper blades (possibly going with a BushHog 60" with the swinging rear scraper blade) - and then I ran across the 65" roll-overs.

My only previous experience with using a box blade was with my BX23 - which on the soil around here had a tough time pulling a 48" rear scraper blade. I often had to go back and break up the soil with the backhoe - and then use the scraper to pull the soil away after it was broken up.

KYDan · Apr 29, 2013

The BushHog rollover box blade is manufactured by Dirt Dog and it is a good blade. I don't know the weight, but the 720 is 710 lbs. I posted earlier in this thread how much I liked it. The 650 may be fine in light, sandy, loamy, soils, but not if you have heavy soil (clay). Which tires do you have on your tractor, R1's, or R4's? With the weight and width of this blade you will need the Ag tires.

jim_wilson · Apr 29, 2013

KYDan said:
The BushHog rollover box blade is manufactured by Dirt Dog and it is a good blade. I don't know the weight, but the 720 is 710 lbs. I posted earlier in this thread how much I liked it. The 650 may be fine in light, sandy, loamy, soils, but not if you have heavy soil (clay). Which tires do you have on your tractor, R1's, or R4's? With the weight and width of this blade you will need the Ag tires.

I've got the R4 industrial tires. I won't be swapping them out - too expensive. I'd be better off passing over the deal on the 65" rollover blade and just paying full price for the 60" if I wanted to go with the rollover blade. I live in MA - so the soil varies all over the place - but it's typically heavier soil and laden with rocks. I believe the 65" rollover is about 650-680 pounds.

What I'd mostly be using this for is stripping topsoil and grading out soil. The topsoil that I've been exposed to around here is usually not as full of rocks as the underlying layers are. That's part of the reason why I'm thinking the 65" might work.

I'm also thinking that for the price of the rollover blade I might just be better off going with a regular scraper blade and maybe a 3pt ripper of some form or another just to break up the really tough soils before I scrape.

jeff9366 · Apr 29, 2013

In Kubota's Operator's Manual for Model B3300SU, page 5, IMPLEMENT LIMITATIONS, Kubota recommends maximum weight box blade of 500 pounds. I pull a 60"/630 pound Bush Hog Rollover Box Blade but I think it is absolute max with our B3300SU tractors. I think a 65" ROBB is likely to stall your tractor in rocky soils, or worse, break something. You certainly will not be able to get five rippers into rocky soil.

A "regular" box blade may be superior for smoothing in some conditions but the immediate availability of rippers on ROBB and its ability to PUSH loose dirt (WITH RIGID STABILIZERS REPLACING FACTORY TURNBUCKLE CHECK CHAINS) are advantages I have learned to respect. I am just about certain, based on experience, that you will not be able to push with the 65" ROBB. Also, the 65" ROBB may interfere with your rear tires. I have to be careful to pin the 60" ROBB in the center to avoid rear tire (R4) interference. Try before you buy 65".

jim_wilson · Apr 30, 2013

After mulling this over for the last few days - I think I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to take a pass on the rollover scraper. I'm going to go with a standard box-scraper blade. I've looked at a few of the options out there - and I like the Dirt Dog/Bush Hog MBX-60 - which has a swinging rear gate. It's also heavy - like 580 pounds, which is over the recommended weight from the Kubota manual - but it's still less than the 630 pound RO-600 rollover blade. I looked at Woods and Land Prides and a few others - but the MBX-60 seems to be the heaviest one out there in 60" and it's the only one I could find at that width that had the swinging rear gate. I had some experiences with a box scraper on my BX23 and a number of times I wished that the scraper was heavier - it just wouldn't engage very well with the soil sometimes because it seemed too light.

I've actually already got a pair of the Kubota rigid stabilizers from the deluxe B tractors sitting at home waiting to be used. Once the next paycheck comes in - I'm likely going to putting in an order for a Top-n-Tilt setup from Fit Rite - and I'm in the middle of figuring out and tracking down the parts I need to add remote hydraulics to the back of the tractor to support all of this.

I looked at some of the scrapers with the retractable rippers - but nobody seems to make one in a 60" . So that option appears to be out. I was only thinking about the 65" ROBB because of the price (guy on Craigslist has them for $1000 - looks like they've been outside for a bit) . If I've got to go full price to get a 60" ROBB - I'm thinking I might as well just get a regular box scraper - and then a rear blade too for that kind of money.

KYDan · Apr 30, 2013

Watch out for the Craig's list blades, they may be fine, but Dirt Dog had a run of bad blades that the scraper was fitted wrong. I don't remember the exact problem, but it could not be corrected. They were offering them from the factory pretty cheap on an as is basis. I contacted them about these blades and they sent me some drawings. I decided to pass on one after looking at the drawings. I looked on the computer for the drawings, but I apparently didn't save them.

jim_wilson · May 1, 2013

KYDan said:
Watch out for the Craig's list blades, they may be fine, but Dirt Dog had a run of bad blades that the scraper was fitted wrong. I don't remember the exact problem, but it could not be corrected. They were offering them from the factory pretty cheap on an as is basis. I contacted them about these blades and they sent me some drawings. I decided to pass on one after looking at the drawings. I looked on the computer for the drawings, but I apparently didn't save them.

Thanks for the tip. The Craigslist ad I saw wasn't the factory though - it was what looked to be a dealer down in the Charleston S.C. area. I think I've pretty much made up my mind on what I'm getting - the dealer never got back to me on shipping costs for the 65" ROBB and I think that I'd likely be better off with a 60" "standard" box scraper anyway. I've got to get on the phone and call around and see if any local dealers have the MBX-60 in stock. I can order it online - Iowa Farm Equipment has an online store - but I'll price it out locally first. I'd also like to get one in orange if possible - that's listed as an option.

jim_wilson · May 1, 2013

Just talked with a few different dealers to see if anybody has the Bush Hog or Dirt Dog MBX-60 in stock around here - nobody appears to. One guy was trying to say that the MBX-60 really needed a lot larger tractor than a compact 32 hp. I think I'm going to take the advice of some of the guys here and stick with the MBX instead of going to the next lower line - none of the other options have the swinging gate that the MBX has.